Steadfast
by BonGarland
Summary: She was certain she'd leave this chamber for the last time with only one destination: Valhalla. AU take on a scene from the dark world; Anti-spoilers, if anything.


**Hey guys, it just keeps coming. I realize this leaves the canon of the dark world a little awkwardly, which may invoke a serial fic, but for now, I just really needed this to happen. Thanks for reading, enjoy! **

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Frigga's devotion to her children had never once dwindled, ebbed away, or been compromised in any fashion. Yes, she'd been horrified, embarrassed, and dismayed at certain actions of both her sons, but she had also been amazed, proud, and comforted to see both grow into their abilities and legacies, be those what they may. The unfortunate choices and despicable actions of one moment were but that, a drop of water in the pond of their length existences, to her. A mother's foolishness perhaps, but it was her view.

She was fiercely defensive of both Thor and Loki, and that entailed the webs of interaction around them, extending to people like Jane Foster. The girl was Thor's beloved, she harbored an evil essence whose power extent she knew not, and she reminded Frigga of herself when she had been younger. All of these facts raced through Frigga's mind as she ushered the slight girl down the hallway ahead of her, murmuring instructions.

When they reached Frigga's wing of the palace, the queen knew she was likely entering her chambers for the last time, but it mattered not. She had lived a very, very long time, and while she knew the girl's relationship with Thor would probably end only in pain for both, she would not let the mortal be harmed if it were in her power to prevent it.

Closing the chamber door, she gestured towards a side chamber for Jane to run to, smiling thinly after her. What ilk of woman would Loki bring to meet her, were several tables turned in their lives? Keeping the sword she'd pulled from a guard's scabbard close to her, she paced the chamber, idly conjuring the illusion of Jane she would use as a decoy to protect the real girl's whereabouts.

* * *

Something was clearly wrong, besides the fact that Asgard was now employing imbecilic buffoons like Fandral and Volstagg as jail wardens. Loki, reclining on his pitiful cot, ceased his tossing and catching of one of his armor cuffs, straining to hear beyond the magical barrier of his cell. A dark brow quirking in inquiry, he slid from the bed, pacing towards the barrier and craning to see down the hall.

Something looked to be happening in one of the cells. Several prisoners were banging on the glass and screaming, which was nothing new, except that they appeared absolutely petrified. Suddenly, something in the corner of the cell behind them seemed to implode, momentarily concealing the interior of the cell from view with thick, black smoke. When it cleared, a burly, masked being was holding the sole living prisoner up to the cell's barrier, burning his face against it. With another blow, the barrier was obliterated, guards racing to stop the hulking monster stepping past it.

His touch seemed to char them inside and out in a matter of seconds, and Loki paced from one side of the cell window to another, a hand clenching and unclenching. When he paused, the guards who had responded were ash on the ground, and the monster was smashing each cell open, releasing the rest of the prisoners to wreak havoc however they chose.

When the behemoth reached the trickster, it seemed to pause, and he was sure it wrinked its nose behind the mask. It turned to leave, and Loki spoke when it had hardly made it three paces. "You might want to take the stairs to your left." It looked back at him appraisingly, and continued on its way.

Turning from the window, Loki's eyes fell upon the most recent stack of books his mother had sent him, and his blood ran cold, remembering how she had bravely taken up sword against Laufey himself, who had been infinitely larger and stronger than her. If chaos were erupting, Thor and Odin would surely imagine it only a slight skirmish, and likely focus on only the errant prisoners still dashing about the prison wing. The monster who had caused the skirmish; it was likely a diversion of some sort, as it had obviously _allowed_ itself to be conquered.

Disregarding the thought of punishment, even if it turned out to be nothing, Loki had to make sure his mother was alright, not that he would admit this particular motivation for escape. Say what he may, she was the sole being whom he had incessantly held affection for, no matter how invisibly.

Turning back to the enchanted grid keeping him from the outside world, his hands traced the screening spell, eyes closing in concentration. There. The magic ended at the edge of the actual walls to his cell, much like an actual window pane, and there was his out. There was no curb to his magic in here, thanks to Odin's arrogance, and so Loki focused a blast of fire on the hairline fissure between wall and binding spell. Slowly, surely, the spell he chose worked like a blowtorch worked for humans, smoke rising from the wall where green light worked at it.

* * *

The thing burst through Frigga's chamber door, and she subtly flicked a wrist, her projection realistically reacting with fright as she directed. She took a deep breath before beginning the threats she'd composed, the back of her mind manipulating the illusion to cower and shift away from Malekith as he approached.

Her swordsmanship needed no work, Frigga decided, as she easily overcame Malekith's slow reactions. Her multitasking, however, needed much work. Focused as she was on the illusion's realism, she hadn't time to notice the beast entering behind them, who wrenched her from Malekith, pulling the sword from her grip and pinning her in its arms.

She watched with grim satisfaction as Malekith approached the faux Jane, Frigga's mouth quirking to the side in a slight sneer as the illusion faded with a twinkle of green light as he touched it.

"_Witch!_" the elf screamed, and she tilted her chin up defiantly in the creature's grasp as Malekith prowled across the room, asking where the girl was. "I'll never tell you."

The elf seemed to ponder a moment, before nodding graciously. "I believe you."

The creature behind her shifted, and Frigga had only time to draw half a breath before she was hurled to the side, the creature roaring in pain and frustration as a blast of green light hit it, Frigga's pilfered blade clattering to the ground. Malekith growled in disbelief, starting to say something before a blast of magic hit him as well, sending him reeling to the ground near the other elven creature. The two staggered to their feet, Malekith with support from the larger elf, and they rushed towards the balcony.

Frigga was drawn back into the moment with a cool hand on her upper arm, pulling her to her feet. "Mother?" She pivoted on the spot, head tilting back in surprise to meet the green gaze of her younger son, for that was who Loki was, no matter what relationship he denied.

His green eyes were full of concern, and Frigga cupped his cheek in her palm, murmuring his name, her tone full of feeling. He looked ready to say something else, but cocked his head to the side, hearing someone coming and quickly schooling his expression. "Thor."

The burly blond god in question barreled into the room, yelling for Jane and Frigga alternately, and paused at the sight of his brother. "Loki?"

"Thor!" Jane cried, emerging from a doorway halfway concealed with drapery. The thunder god was distracted, running to catch Jane up in a tight embrace, and Frigga returned her attention to Loki. "Loki, you must listen to me, and quickly. You cannot be caught outside of your cell, I fear what your father would do in his rage at already being caught so off-guard…" She trailed off, examining options. She was loath to return her son to the cage he had been banished to, but she feared the Allfather's reaction to his escape, though he had done no harm, and in fact saved Frigga's life. A grin crossed her face, and her hand moved to grip Loki's shoulder firmly.

His eyes were already flitting from side to side, his weight shifting from one foot to the other at being out in the open, waiting for his actions to be discovered. Her hand on his shoulder brought his somber gaze back to her, and she quickly murmured instructions. He nodded mutely, darting into another side doorway that led deeper into her personal rooms, and she prayed that he would follow her direction, though she knew not who she prayed to.

Taking a deep breath, she began a complicated gesture with her right hand, even as she moved towards Odin's approaching footsteps. A long-distance projection was always difficult, and for an elongated period of time even more so, but she would do anything for Loki.

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**Thanks for reading! ~Bon**


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